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Non-Isothermal Crystallization of Bovine Milk Fat

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Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society

Abstract

The crystallization kinetics of milk fat were studied under non-isothermal and simulated adiabatic conditions using pulsed NMR spectroscopy. Isothermal experiments confirmed that when milk fat is shock cooled to below the α melting point it crystallizes in two steps due to the different crystallization kinetics of α and β′ modifications. In non-isothermal experiments, the fat samples were heated early during the plateau between steps to a temperature above the α melting point and β′ crystals formed more rapidly than in isothermal conditions. Fresh α crystals are believed to melt and form lamellar units containing triglyceride molecules with high degrees of isomorphism and these units can accelerate the nucleation and growth rates of β′ polymorph crystals. The crystallization behavior changed when the heating occurred late in the plateau and the α crystals are believed to have demixed, which allowed them to transform to β′ crystals directly in the solid state. Under simulated adiabatic conditions the rate of β′ crystallization was increased by a factor of 2–3 over the isothermal case. These findings were used to infer approaches to process difficult fat blends in scraped-surface heat exchanger plants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Private Bag, 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Patrick W. M. Janssen

  2. Fonterra Research Centre Limited, Private Bag, 11029, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    Alastair K. H. MacGibbon

Authors
  1. Patrick W. M. Janssen
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  2. Alastair K. H. MacGibbon
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Correspondence to Patrick W. M. Janssen.

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Janssen, P.W.M., MacGibbon, A.K.H. Non-Isothermal Crystallization of Bovine Milk Fat. J Am Oil Chem Soc 84, 871–875 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-007-1105-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-007-1105-x

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